Fastening device



March 25, 1941- D. M. DuNwoomE, sa 2,236.169

FASTENING DEVICE Filed April 29, 1959 Agg 74a 70a 72a 70a 740 70072;/ 74a F 55 86D I E. E. 70

INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES iastate PATENT ortica 3 Claims.

This invention relates to book binding 'devices and more particularly to metallic book binding devices made from continuous length wires. In my copending application Serial No. 199,057 led 5 March 31, 1938, for Fastening device, ripening into Patent No. 2,156,683, dated May 2, 1939, I have shown and claimed a continuous length Wire fastening device for binding a stack of marginally apertured sheets of material into a volume. In the copending application, the loops or extensions are directed in opposite directions from the link portions, to thereby interlock the sheets of material.

In the present embodiment the showing of the extensions has not been confined to extensions projecting in opposite directions, as the extensions may extend in the same direction or in opposite directions, depending entirely upon the use to which they are to be put and the machinery available for producing the binding devices. In-

stead of binding a single stack of material, or two adjacent stacks, by the same binding device, the present embodiment contemplates the use of a plurality of binding devices interlocking a plurality of stacks of marginally apertured sheets of material. Several of the stacks of sheets, which stacksA may be referred to as interbinding stacks, have two binding devices, one of which engages an adjacent stack of sheets on one side and the other an adjacent stack of sheets on the opposite side, thereby providing a exible binding device which may be enlarged for use in binding large volumes, such as telephone directories, large catalogs and other types of bound works.

An object of this invention is to provide a series of fastening devices for binding stacks of marginally punched material, the binding devices of adjacent stacks being arranged in staggered or offset relation.

Another object of this invention is to provide fastening devices for a plurality of marginally apertured stacks of sheets by continuous length fastening devices provided With extensions wherein the extensions of each fastening device project into the apertures of the sheets of two adjacent stacks.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fastening means for a plurality of stacks of marginally apertured record material or other material by a plurality of fastening devices, the interbinding stacks of record material having at least two fastening devices engaging adjacent stacks.

Another object of this invention is to provide fastening devices in adjacent stacks of marginally apertured sheets of material that are staggered, so that adjacent stacks may be stacked together with the fastening devices thereof being nestled so as to provide a compact stack.

Other objects and advantages reside in the con- 5 struction of parts, the combination thereof and the mode of operation, as` will become more apparent from the following description.

Figure 1 discloses a plurality of stacks of marginally apertured sheets of material juxtaposed 1o upon each other and provided with marginal apertures arranged in nonregistering relation with respect to. the apertures in adjacent stacks, the stacks being. held together by continuous length fastening devices whereinthe extensions on the 15 fastening devices are curved in the same general drection, b.ut adjacent extensions being oiiset, so as to provide two series. of loops.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the fastening device `disclosed yin Figure. 1 removed from the 2o stacks.

Figure 3 isV an end View of the fastening device disclosed in Figure 2...

In my copending application a continuous length fastening device, having all the link por- 25 tions arranged in aligned relation, has been shown. In the present embodiment a plurality of stacks of marginally apertured sheet material has been bound into one volume by a plurality of fastening devices, each of which engages some of the 30 stacks but not necessarily all the stacks in the volume. This is preferably accomplished by providing apertures in juxtaposed stacks having the apertures in adjacent stacks arranged in nonregistering relation, so that the extensions of ad- 35 jacent bonding devices do not conflict with each other.

In Figure 2 the link portions It extend between reversely bifurcated extensions 12 and 14. All of these extensions project in a counterclockwise di- 4,0 rection from the link portions Til. The longitudinal axis D-D passing through the extensions 'l2 is parallel to but offset from the longitudinal axis E-E passing through the centers of the reversely bifurcated extensions 14. These may be used in 45 binding a plurality of stacks, as illustrated by the stacks 40, 42 and 44, shown in Figure 1. Stacks di] and 42 are held in position by a fastening device including the links "Ill, the reversely bifurcated extension T2 passing through aper- 50 tures 46 in stack 40 and the extensions 14 passing through the apertures 48 in the interbinding stack 42. By this arrangement, the extensions 'I2 are closed within the bound volume and the extensions 14 are closed on the outside or along u the back of the bound volume. The volumes 42 and 44 have been bound together by an extension identical to that shown in Figure 2 and desi.,- nated by like reference characters having added thereto the character a. That is, the extensions 12a project into apertures 48 in stack 42 and the extensions 14a lproject into apertures 50 in stack 44. The reversely bifurcated extensions are arranged in staggered relation, so that no two eX- tensions in adjacent stacks are aligned with each other.

The ends of the fastening devices, as shown in Figure 1, are directed at right angles with respect to the stub link portions and project between the stacks or the sheets of material that are bound so as to conceal the ends, thereby preventing the ends from catching, tearing or scratching. In Figure 2 the end 86 has been reversely bent, so as to reduce the chances of the end causing any damage.

In some types of work all of the link portions may be of uniform length. For other purposes, the link portions may vary in length. For eX- arnple, the link portions shown in Figure 1 are not of a uniform length. The reversely bifurcated extensions may be equally spaced in the same stacks cr they may be unequally spaced, within the purview of this invention.

Although the preferred modication of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and larrangement of parts which generally stated, consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, in the novel parts, combination of parts and mode of operation, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A bound volume including a pair of stacks of sheets, each stack of sheets being provided with marginal apertures, and binding means including a continuous length wire which includes aligned link portions and a plurality of reversely bifurcated projections having the bifurcated ends integrally connected to the link portions, the projections being curved in the same angular direction so as to form two series of loops oiset with respect to each other, so that the longitudinal axis passing through the centers of one series of loops is offset from and parallel to the longitudinal axis passing through the centers of the other series of loops, the loops of one series passing through the apertures in one stack and the loops of the other series passing through the stack being arranged in staggered relation withl respect to the apertures in the other stack, and binding means including a continuous length wire which includes aligned link portions, the link portions ydiffering in length, and a plurality of reversely bifurcated projections having the bifurcated ends integrally connected to the linkl portions, the projections being curved in the same angular direction so as to form two series of loops offset with respect to each other, so that the longitudinal axis passing through the centers of one series of loops is oiset from and parallel to the longitudinal axis passing through the centers of the other series of loops, the loops of one series passing through the apertures in one stack and the loops of the other series passing through the apertures in the'other stack, so as to hold the two stacks together in a bound volume, the loops of both series projecting into apertures o the respective stacks from the saine side of the stacks.

3. A bound volume including at least three stacks lof sheets, each stack of sheets being provided With marginal apertures, the apertures of the outer stacks being equally spaced, and a plurality of binding means, each of said binding means including a continuous length wire which includes aligned link portions, the link portions diiering in length, and a plurality of reversely bifurcated projections having the bifurcated ends integrally connected to the link portions, the projections being curved in the same angular direction so as to form two series of loops offset with respect to each other, so that the longitudinal axis passing through the centers of one series of loops is oiset from and parallel to the longitudinal axis passing through the centers of the other series of loops, the loops of one series passing through the apertures in one stack and the loops of the other series passing through the `apertures in the adjacent stack, so as to hold the stacks together in a bound volume, the loops of both series projecting into apertures of the respective stacks from the same side of the stacks.

DAVID M. DUNWOODIE, SR. 

